Taxi Driver Online

My mums dads sisters cousins best mates nephew thinks he heard a man on a bus on a phone saying something about this too
Why dont people who want to know, accept we will NEVER fully know the truth and just accept that instead of inane posts like the above.

Goodness gracious. Thank The Lord we have found a sensible participant Mr HSSC. I think the previous post was Hans Christian Anderson, what a load of horse manure. I think this may be the start of Central members looking for further excuses to justify why they are now in the position they are, precarious to say the least.

I do hope however that when the new contract begins that all parties behave appropriately? I have been informed of some bad practices taking place already, picking up next to a rank, not having the courtesy to let a driver past plying for hire after pulling out in front. It's certainly not the way to conduct ones self.

So Mr Tipsararity. I think your reason as to why CRT decided to think they were able to go alone and rule the Edinburgh Hackney Taxi Trade is way off the mark. Once again I may reiterate that there still seems no proof forthcoming from the CRT headquarters?

The logical sequence of thought process, if indeed there was one?, behind CRT's decision to go alone was solely based upon greed and a desire to hurt City Cabs. They failed and will now endeavour to spin their way out. I think deep down the members may know this but fear a backlash if they dare speak out.

Once again the silence is an admission of guilt!!

I do love a nice stroll round the Loch on a Sunday afternoon. Fabulous views.

Are you related to Sochaux?

Are you related to Sochaux?
Aye probably through drink !!

I have NEVER sought de-regulation of the trade. We all know we need regulation, if only to ensure that owners properly maintain their vehicles.

Now, did you understand that Mr Imbecile?

Second, I have argued for de-restriction of numbers. because:-

1. Of any market sector in the economy, only the taxi trade enjoys restriction of numbers to protect the interests of a privileged group.
2. PH are unrestricted, and they expand to do the work we should be doing, lost because of a lack of fleet expansion.
3. De-restriction would help avoid PH reaching the critical mass where they will dictate what happens.
4. 75% of all UK LAs are already unrestricted, and the trade survives quite happily.
5. Preserving privilege contravenes every tenet of freedom of employment.
6. Plates accrue a "value" despite the 1982 Act stating they are NOT for sale. Their sale is illegal, aided and abetted by the council.
7. In the around 20 years I've been in the trade PH has increased 500%, compared to hacks' 40%.
8. ECPH has already added a block of 50 cars to its fleet. It would have no problem financing similar growth again. The airport contract makes this a raving certainty.

But, primarily, I want de-restriction because it will benefit driver/workers and hurt those owners who can't compete in a commercial world, while providing a better, more accessible service to customers.

Finally, I have always underpinned my argument by advocating even tougher quality controls. And they would control numbers, while allowing everyone the opportunity to access the trade at the level they wish.

I operate a streetcar, and I am being denied principally, by two taxi companies whose cars operate the majority of time as Private Hire. How can this be right?

Restriction is the mindset of the 1980s. It's long overdue for our politicians to wake up to the realities of the modern commercial world.

I consider the trade is the drivers. And it won't be detrimental to their rights. And they know this, which is why at the last time of asking well over 100 applied for their own licence. More may well have if they'd believed the system wasn't rigged. That's a lot of guys who saw the demand the council ensures doesn't "exist" through its corrupted consultations.

Under de-restriction, good owners would keep their drivers. Rentals would be set at a sensible level to make it not worthwhile for drivers to jump ship. The owners who set levels which make drivers' pips squeak will lose out. And so they should.

So, the trade imbeciles bumping their gums in fear of how de-restriction is bad, are likely owners who know they're not real "businessmen" and couldn't compete on their best day. The very ones who should be ousted from the trade. The same imbeciles handing out huge discounts to the point where sole trading cabbies are subsidising major corporations.

And we all know who they are

And who's losing any sleep over them?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

You do make a lot of good points here. But jasbar even you must understand the fear owners of plates have?
If you'd spent x of thousands of pounds on a plate then deregulation wouldn't be appealing. I do agree that whilst we're restricted to grow in numbers private hire can multiply at will.
I think Jasbar if you could or would have been able to persuade owners that the plates would hold their value then you may/might have had more support.
But claiming anyone is stupid and inferior who doesn't agree with you is hardly going to help you make friends and influence people.

_________________
"I'm going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don't fly. They're the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over - so it's teamwork."

De-restriction, not De-regulation. I make the point again.

I don't understand the fear owners of plates have with de-restriction, I RELISH it. I relish all irrational fear.

What part of plates are not for sale do you not understand? Plates have NO owners. All plates are the property of the council. There is NO real value attached to them, they can be withdrawn at the whim of the council issuing them.

Those shelling out for plates know this. particularly those who did so in the last 10 years, because we've never done telling them. But they "bought" their plates anyway.

Isn't it surprising how few people working in our trade really understand it?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Somewhere in the last 2 posts lies the answer the taxi trade needs. Not de-limitation and no stagnation allowing PHC explosive growth but rather a policy needs to be introduced whereby taxi licences are issued at a consistent rate on a 5 year (or similar) rate.

If 20 new licences were made available each year for the next 5 years with a then accurate survey of demand commissioned taking account of all impact and stakeholders, a period of say 2 years to compile this then again an issue of another 20 for 5 years. This way you would still keep a sensible value on plates, give new entrants to the trade a realistic opportunity and counter the growth of PHC. If new rank spaces could be identified and used, an example of this would be down at Western Harbour, if cabs sat here the residents may choose to walk up. This is a massive catchment area and has given many thousands of fares to both hacks and PHC over the last few years.

Unfortunately for something like the above to work some sort of concensus has to be found. This from the trade representatives, council and licensed drivers. You would hope that despite the ramifications that contracts won and lost by thebig two bring that they both never lose sight of the importance of keeping their plate and business values and through what is sure to be gritted teeth sit down and keep the above on the agenda.

BTW Jasbar, stick to writing fantasy books as you'll never be any good at 'who dunnit's'

Isn't it surprising how few people working in our trade really understand it?........there you go again!! No jasbar only great minds like you understand this.
Of course everyone is aware the plate belongs to the council and that no value should be placed upon them.
But like a box of chocolates life ain't that simple. De restriction is definitely something that should be considered.
Another question Jasbar, lets see if you answer this one.....if you've got such a hard on for owning a taxi why don't you just buy one?

_________________
"I'm going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don't fly. They're the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over - so it's teamwork."

So you understand our trade?

What would I be buying?

A vehicle I don't have a licence to operate?

A licence I can never own?

Or would I just be paying hard earned to someone for something they don't own and can't give me?

Now, if I was wrong, and de-restriction didn't work, as it does almost everywhere else, then even if the limit was lifted, no one would put their own car on.

But of course, we know that there are any number of guys out there who so want to operate their own vehicle, who see the flexibility of working when the market needs them to, and taking time off to be with their families when its quiet. Who see the benefit of the car doubling as their private, and saving the cost of not having to finance that. And who see the environmental benefit of not having to travel across town unnecessarily adding to CO2 emissions at shift changeover. And who can head straight home safely when tiredness dictates the end of their shift.

Fat Boab's plan for managed growth wouldn't work either. Although I admit it might have slowed the growth in private hire had it been applied over the last 20 years.

But the only mechanism that can efficiently match supply with demand is market forces. Customers voting with their bucks is the best way forward. This is what works in all commercial sectors. It's what needs to happen here.

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Do market forces always go up in your world ?

I think you're being deliberately facetious Jasbar but f it I'll play along.
Are you ready for this.....I think you're almost right, yup I said it! The majority of cabbies do work long hours constantly and this isn't good for varying reasons.
You would own the licence to ply for hire on edinburghs streets. You can counter this by saying the council at anytime can take the plate away but is there a precedent for this?? I've never heard of anyone having to return their plate cause the council decided they wanted it back??
In your world at the moment you're paying a rental to somebody who doesn't own that asset either!! And Jasbar I'm amazed a man of your intelligence and importance allows this to happen!!
Another point I need to pick you up on is customers voting with their bucks. I don't mean to be patronising to a man with a greater mind than Stephen hawking but news flash.....the customers don't give a flying f about the cab trade. They just want to go from a to b. They have no interest in de restriction, de regulation, the airport, the Waverley etc etc.

_________________
"I'm going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don't fly. They're the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over - so it's teamwork."